Saturday

Class A Public Girls, 2 p.m.: Hancock Central, 17-3, R7/1, vs. Commerce, R8/2, 15-14, R8/2
Class A Private Boys, 4 p.m.: FPD, 23-3, R1/1 vs. Kings Ridge Christian, 27-4, R6/1
Class 5A Girls, 6 p.m.: Warner Robins, 25-5, R1/1, vs. Woodward Academy, 27-2, R3/1
Class A Public Girls,6 p.m.: Taylor County, 23-4, R5/2, vs. Lake Oconee, 24-1, R8/1

By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

The girls from Warner Robins and Taylor County are both ranked in each primary state poll, Sandy’s Spiel and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

That’s the good news.

On the other side of the court are opponents who have a “No. 1” next to their name.

Woodward Academy is the consensus No. 1 in Class 5A, and Lake Oconee Academy is ranked first in one poll and third in the other.

Those are two of the matchups with Central Georgia teams on Saturday, with 5A at Fort Valley State and Class A Public at Valdosta State.

Hancock Central is also at Valdosta State, while FPD’s boys are at Buford in Class A Private boys.

Woodward averages 71.1 points a game, according the the information it has reported to Maxpreps, while Warner Robins gets 56.7.

The War Eagles are two wins from defending their state championship, the program’s fourth, but first since 1999. They’re led by Sydney Bowles and Sara Lewis.

Warner Robins hasn’t reached this point since it finished second in the state in 1996. Tasia Agee and Jada Morgan shared player of the year honors in Region 1, with Neveah Mack earning first-team honors under coach of the year Rebecca White.

The Demons have won 20 in a row, last losing 64-58 to Stockbridge back on Dec. 28.

Hancock Central hasn’t reached this point since 1997, Despite that long drought, the Bulldogs are a favorite in the semifinal against upstart Commerce, which didn’t pass .500 until the last playoff game.

The Bulldogs’ only losses are to playoff teams: ACE (Class A Public), Baldwin (Class 4A semifinalist) and Washington County (Class AA quarterfinals). They’re off two close wins, 56-48 in overtime over Bryan County and 58-56 at No.2/1 Montgomery County.

They’re led by Jalexicia Hargrove, a versatile 5-11 senior who is one of the top players in the classification.

Commerce grinded its way to this point after going 10-2 in region play and giving Lake Oconee a battle in the region tournament. The Tigers opened the season 1- 9, four of the losses by single digits.

And they’ll be looking for a game in the 40s. Commerce has scored 50 points or more only six times this year, and comes in off a 37-34 quarterfinal win over Pelham.

Reaching the semifinals isn’t new to Taylor County, but it is to this group.

The Vikings won the Class A Public girls title in 2015, 12 years after taking the Class A championship, with two trips to the semifinals in between.

They lost in the region tournament, but have won by 10, four, and 12 in three playoff games, racking up an impressive quarterfinal win over Dublin on Tuesday.

Junior Jaliyah Zacker leads the Vikings of coach Moneak McCrary with 20 points a game.

Lake Oconee has the co-players of the year in Region 8, with Jada Williams and Georgia Bosart. The Titans’ lone loss was on Dec. 3, 42-34 at Stratford. Since then, they’ve had only wo games decided by single digits, 44-40 over Commerce on Feb. 18 and 63-60 in overtime at Seminole County on Wednesday.

King’s Ridge is on a seven-game winning streak. Its last loss was on Feb. 7, 57-56 to St. Francis, who FPD eliminated 64-53 on Wednesday.

The Vikings boss watched his team get past a big name in the Elite Eight, and faces a major contender in Saturday’s semifinal at Buford.

Video: Michael A. Lough/The Central Georgia Sports Report

FPD has won 20 straight, a run dating back to Dec. 18’s 71-61 loss to Eagle’s Landing Christian. It’s an impressive stretch, considering the Vikings started off 0-2, with losses to Southwest Atlanta Christian and Hart County.

The bench is mighty empty, with only three players sitting near head coach Gavin Chapman. The Vikings lost Lawson Andress early (injury) and Jaylen Goodrum fairly late (team decision), but haven’t lost a step.

Sophomore Jakhari Williams has grown in confidence the past month, giving more scoring support to senior Jay King, and Nick Jordan is first or second in pretty much every offensive category except scoring.

King has that honor, with 30.4 points a game, followed by Williams at 12.3.

The Vikings have gone farther than any Bibb County private school since the locals moved to the GHSA. Now, of course, they’re all moving back to the GISA and its athletic arm, the GIAA, so FPD would need the upset to play its final GHSA game in Macon.